Tuesday, February 28

NORTH IDAHO ALLIANCE: Women in Technology

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According to an article in Forbes, gender equality remains a major issue in the corporate world, and women remain significantly underrepresented in the corporate pipeline.

  • By MARILEE WALLACE/Special to NIBJ
  • February 28, 2023

HAYDEN CHAMBER: 2022 annual review

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It’s a tradition to look back on the past year and reflect on our triumphs and tribulations. It’s a pleasure to present the Hayden Chamber of Commerce's 2022 Annual Review.

  • By ANDREA FULKS/Hayden Chamber of Commerce
  • February 28, 2023

POST FALLS CHAMBER: Welcomes new members

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Warm greetings business community! It was exciting to read the changes that NIBJ is making. We look forward to helping provide stories that celebrate and educate our business community.

  • By CHRISTINA PETIT/Post Falls Chamber
  • February 28, 2023

Spokane airport receives $6.4 million for terminal expansion

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The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced it has awarded $6,427,744 in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding to Spokane International Airport in Washington. The airport will use the money to fund the first phase of construction on the terminal building expansion.

  • February 28, 2023

North Idaho Spas receives industry awards

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North Idaho Spas, with locations in Kootenai and Bonner counties, was recently recognized for its achievements in the hot tub industry at Sundance Spas International Dealer Conference held in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.

  • February 28, 2023

Think Big Festival returns in April

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The Innovation Collective announced the return of its annual Think Big Festival April 13 to 15 to Coeur d'Alene.

  • February 28, 2023

J.A. Bertsch expands with Technical Training Center

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J.A. Bertsch Heating and Cooling is continuing to grow while at the same time enhancing its team development and support system.

  • February 28, 2023

Connections beyond the food

Community, family fuel success for Joel's restaurant
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When you go to Joel's, don't forget the poppers. It'd be easy to forget as you ponder the many options, trying to decide what to get when it all sounds so good. But as delicious as the food is — and the poppers are legendary — it is the Aispuro family that makes Joel's Mexican Restaurant a must-visit spot for breakfast and lunch for both Sandpoint residents and visitors alike. Family is at the heart of the restaurant — whether it is Joel and Rebeca Aispuro Sr. and their children, the employees who have become like family, or the customers who are welcomed with a friendly smile.

  • By CAROLINE LOBSINGER/NIBJ Staff Writer
  • February 28, 2023

All in the family business

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We’ve all heard it said, “You should never go into business with relatives.” There is some merit to that, but there is also a wealth of evidence indicating it might not be such a bad idea. In fact, it could be a great one. “The most essential characteristic of stable family businesses is responsible leadership,” said Patricia Soldano, president of Family Enterprise USA, a Washington, D.C.-based national advocacy and research group, in a 2021 news release about a study the organization commissioned to research the impact of these firms. The study revealed that family-owned companies contributed 54% of private sector gross domestic product in the U.S. That’s the equivalent of $7.7 trillion.

  • February 28, 2023

Moving on, a fact of life

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Moving on is never easy, but it is a necessary fact of life. You can see it as overwhelming, as nothing but challenges, or as the door to new opportunities and adventure.

  • By RAPHAEL BARTA/Contributing Writer
  • February 28, 2023

Avista Corp. board increases dividend

SPOKANE - Avista Corp.’s board of directors has declared a quarterly dividend of $0.46 per share on the company’s common stock, an increase of $0.02 per share (4.5 percent), yielding an annualized dividend of $1.84. The common stock dividend is payable March 15, 2023, to shareholders of record at the close of business on Feb. 17, 2023.

  • February 28, 2023

Cattle, hay the Cloverdale way

Boekel family has been raising cattle, farming Rathdrum land for 120 years
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Two calves made a break for it and briefly wandered along Boekel Road before good Samaritans alerted Bill and Donna Boekel the young cows were loose. “The weather was nice," Donna said. "It was a good thing it didn’t happen the day before. You have no choice but to go out there and fix it." Such is a day in the life at Cloverdale Farms, on a rural stretch in Rathdrum at 1180 W. Boekel (pronounced "bay-kuhl") Road.

  • By DEVIN WEEKS/NIBJ Staff Writer
  • February 28, 2023

Bringing Ireland to Coeur d'Alene

Craig, Ilene Moss have been sharing the Irish spirit with CDA for nearly 25 years
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All Things Irish going on 25 years

  • By BILL BULEY/NIBJ Staff Writer
  • February 28, 2023

Hecla silver reserves highest in history

Silver reserves increase by 21% to more than 240 million ounces
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Silver reserves increase by 21% to more than 240 million ounces

  • February 28, 2023

Founding partner buys out Bombastic Brewing

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A Post Falls entrepreneur who founded Bombastic Brewing is now the solo owner of the business.

  • February 28, 2023

Jitterz business model is no small beans

Coffee stand grows into regional chain
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"Great people, great coffee and community support." Those are the words Jitterz Espresso owners Laura and Jason Quast want to hear when people talk about their business. The Quasts are students of the game when it comes to coffee – not just because they operate 11 stands – but because they are literally students of coffee. “I have worked in the coffee industry since I was 17 years old as a barista,” Laura said. “I fell in love with the art of coffee and serving my communities.” For some of North Idaho’s more populated areas, Jitterz is a mainstay in the drive-thru coffee industry, and has been for nearly two decades. Now the company is expanding into Shoshone County, with a new stand planned in the budding retail community of Smelterville.

  • By JOSH McDONALD/NIBJ Staff Writer
  • February 28, 2023

Agriculture commodities see slightly profitable year

AgWest Farm Credit released its quarterly Market Snapshot reports covering the state of major agricultural commodities for the Northwest.

  • February 28, 2023

USDA Specialty Crop Grant application period open

The application period for 2023 Specialty Crop Block Grants is open until March 5. The United States Department of Agriculture has allocated over $2 million to ISDA to award to specialty crop projects across the state.

  • February 28, 2023

Umpqua bank foundation announces regional grant award

The Umpqua Bank Charitable Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization of Umpqua Bank, announced that St. Vincent de Paul North Idaho is among 56 nonprofits that received grants from the foundation.

  • February 28, 2023

Workplace deaths declined in 2021

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Bureau of Labor Statistics researchers documented 30 fatal occupational injuries in Idaho in 2021. Though the trend over the decade has been a slight increase in workplace fatalities, the 30 deaths in 2021 represent a decline from 2020 when 32 fatalities occurred.

  • By IDAHO DEPARTMENT OF LABOR REPORT
  • February 28, 2023

Tuesday, February 7

Movers & Shakers

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Movers & Shakers

  • February 7, 2023

Monday, February 6

Gov. Little: February is STEM Matters Month

LEGO League Challenge event set for Saturday, Feb. 11 in Post Falls
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Idaho Gov. Brad Little has announced that February is STEM Matters Month. In its eighth year, STEM Matters has morphed from a one-day celebration at the Idaho State Capitol to a weeklong virtual event during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic to a monthlong statewide celebration.

  • February 6, 2023